17th Independent Spirit Awards

The 17th Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent filmmaking for 2001, were announced on March 23, 2002. It was hosted by John Waters.^[1][2][3]

17th Independent Spirit Awards
Date	March 23, 2002
Site	Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Hosted by	John Waters
Highlights
Best Film	Memento
Most awards	Memento (4)
Most nominations	L.I.E. (7)
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Winners and nominees

Christopher Nolan, Best Director and Screenplay winner

Tom Wilkinson, Best Male Lead winner

Sissy Spacek, Best Female Lead winner

Steve Buscemi, Best Supporting Male winner

Carrie-Anne Moss, Best Supporting Female winner

Best Feature	Best Director
Memento Hedwig and the Angry Inch L.I.E. Things Behind the Sun Waking Life	Christopher Nolan – Memento Michael Cuesta – L.I.E. Cheryl Dunye – Stranger Inside Richard Linklater – Waking Life John Cameron Mitchell – Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Best Male Lead	Best Female Lead
Tom Wilkinson – In the Bedroom Brian Cox – L.I.E. Ryan Gosling – The Believer Jake Gyllenhaal – Donnie Darko John Cameron Mitchell – Hedwig and the Angry Inch	Sissy Spacek – In the Bedroom Kim Dickens – Things Behind the Sun Molly Parker – The Center of the World Tilda Swinton – The Deep End Kerry Washington – Lift
Best Supporting Male	Best Supporting Female
Steve Buscemi – Ghost World Don Cheadle – Things Behind the Sun Billy Kay – L.I.E. Garrett Morris – Jackpot John C. Reilly – The Anniversary Party	Carrie-Anne Moss – Memento Davenia McFadden – Stranger Inside Summer Phoenix – The Believer Uma Thurman – Tape Tamara Tunie – The Caveman's Valentine
Best Screenplay	Best First Screenplay
Memento – Christopher Nolan[4] The Believer – Henry Bean In the Bedroom – Robert Festinger and Todd Field Monster's Ball – Milo Addica and Will Rokos Waking Life – Richard Linklater	Ghost World – Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff The Anniversary Party – Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming Donnie Darko – Richard Kelly Hedwig and the Angry Inch – John Cameron Mitchell L.I.E. – Stephen M. Ryder, Michael Cuesta and Gerald Cuesta
Best First Feature	Best Debut Performance
In the Bedroom The Anniversary Party The Believer Donnie Darko Ghost World	Paul Franklin Dano – L.I.E. Hilary Howard, Anthony Leslie and Mitchell Riggs – Kaaterskill Falls Clint Jordan – Virgil Bliss Ana Reeder – Acts of Worship Yolonda Ross – Stranger Inside
Best Cinematography	Best Documentary Feature
Mulholland Drive – Peter Deming The American Astronaut – W. Mott Hupfel III The Deep End – Giles Nuttgens Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Frank G. DeMarco Memento – Wally Pfister	Dogtown and Z-Boys Go Tigers! LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton Promises Scratch
Best International Film
Amélie • France Amores Perros • Mexico Lumumba • Belgium/France/Germany/Haiti Sexy Beast • Spain/UK Together • Denmark/Italy/Sweden

Special awards

John Cassavetes Award

Jackpot

• Acts of Worship
• Kaaterskill Falls
• Punks
• Virgil Bliss

Truer Than Fiction Award

Hybrid

• Children Underground
• The Mark of Cain
• Promises
• Trembling Before G-d

Producers Award

Rene Bastian and Linda Moran – Martin & Orloff and L.I.E.

• Adrienne Gruben – Treasure Island and Olympia
• Jasmine Kosovic – Just One Time and The Adventures of Sebastian Cole
• Nadia Leonelli – Acts of Worship and Perfume

Someone to Watch Award

Debra Eisenstadt – Daydream Believer

• DeMane Davis and Khari Streeter – Lift
• Michael Gilio – Kwik Stop
• David Maquiling – Too Much Sleep

Films with multiple nominations and awards

Films that received multiple nominations

Nominations	Film
7	L.I.E.
5	Hedwig and the Angry Inch
	Memento
3	Acts of Worship
	The Anniversary Party
	Donnie Darko
	Ghost World
	Waking Life

Films that won multiple awards

Awards	Film
4	Memento
3	In the Bedroom
2	Ghost World
	L.I.E.